2021 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

thriftwizard

Laura, that mend is brilliantly done! Your Intended is a lucky chap.

Pixtotts, my DDs have had the same problem, despite being slender little scraps. I hate to say it but there's not much you can do with such poor fabric; you can patch them with scraps as Wraithlady says, but the base fabric may well not "hold" the stitches for very long. I just used an offcut of the brushed cotton I'm using for DD2's new PJs (£3 at a charity shop for about 4m lovely thick Indian brushed cotton) to patch her old PJ bottoms, which had split at the derrière; you could feel the difference in the quality of the fabric straight away & she's been informed that they're not going to last long now. The "old" pjs were bought last spring from M&S but weren't used until well into autumn, so effectively they've lasted in use about 3 months. I'm not overly impressed...

Laura_Elsewhere

After getting through 3 or 4 pairs of £10 jeans every year, I gave up buying stretch jeans. I bought one pair of non-stretch jeans and they still haven't worn out after 3 years now... but I had to buy men's jeans in order to get non-stretch ones! 

I do patch the cut-off leggings I wear under my skirts. I've recently experimented and discovered that if I wear looser leggings, they don't wear through. Same as the jeans. The tighter the fit, the faster they wear... and yes, the stretch content weakens the fabric horribly... 

CapricornLass

I've used sashiko for mending jeans and work trousers which is a Japanese technique for mending cotton clothes, and which is basically  just running stitch.  These can be arranged into patterns if you wish, otherwise just lines up and down will work fine.  I put a patch of fabric behind the hole, and then stitched in lines up and down.  The results were sturdy and durable.

Here are two web-sites which will help explain, but there is plenty more if you search on the internet.    I've only just discovered the Japan Crafts site, so I haven't used them yet, but I ordered my sashiko needles, thread and sachiko thimble from Cotton Patch, and they delivered promptly.  Its worth investing in all three if you decide to have a go.  Patching jeans can be hard work, especially over the seams.  You use the thimble in the same way as a sailmaker's palm to push the needle through.

 

https://www.japancrafts.co.uk/sashiko.html#/

https://www.cottonpatch.co.uk/acatalog/Sashiko_Notions.html

I think it might also depend on whether you plan to keep these jeans for 'good' or whether you are going to downgrade them!

MrsCD

Happy birthday Laura. Here's a cake that is totally calorie free! 🎂😉

Laura_Elsewhere

I normally don't really wave my birthday around but I thought people might need a spot of cheering-up. I'm not quite sure how the Village Hall is affected by the new lockdown, but I believe it has a Unique Special Dispensation so that we can still meet up in here... our plans for visiting my favourite knitting shop to spend birthday money, and/or go for a short hike up on the Long Mynd were cancelled by us yesterday morning as it became apparent that just going anywhere for any non-urgent reason was a bit stupid... so at least no disappointment, come the evening's announcement! 

Would anyone like some birthday cake? In true wartime spirit, I haven't actually made a birthday cake, but am re-using the uneaten half of my Christmas cake - I wish I'd thought of decorating it as half Xmas and half birthday, would have been quite fun to do! 

The stove is lit, and the tea-urn is going... pull up a chair! 

PollyWollyDoodle

Happy birthday Laura, and many happy returns – like all of us, I expect you will be celebrating it properly later in the year (we hope). Meanwhile, let me pour you a cuppa, we are very lucky that the Village Hall is a special exception to the rules. I would love a slice of birthday cake please, I love Christmas cake but don’t usually make it. I love the idea of a half and half decoration, that’s one to put on the list for next year!

maddiemay

Happy birthday Laura, will be along shortly to join you all at the hall. I will pass on the cake thanks, although it does look rather good, not a very sweet tooth here, but will bring a tin of cheese scones, just don't ask where I got the cheese and butter from

Laura_Elsewhere

There's some Wensleydale and Roquefort, if you'd like, @maddiemay? I treat myself every December to a bit of real Wensleydale, from Hawes, and a little bit of Roquefort, and walnuts and hazelnuts and some little Cox's pippins apples and the fruitcake, mmmm.....

Laura_Elsewhere

@PollyWollyDoodle, tbh it isn't hugely different under lockdown - the main difference is that we had planned to go out locally-ish, either SW to go up my beloved Long Mynd for a walk along the top, where I haven't been since October, or NW to go to Ewe&Ply and spend my birthday money from my parents... obviously both are 'orf' for the foreseeable! 

I started making myself 6-inch fruitcake in the autumn as I discovered that a small slice, c.60g/ 2oz, would actually stop me eating a load of junk. I don't ice those ones, though - this one has masses of marzipan and some icing on, which doubles its sugar content easily, if not triples it!

maddiemay

Laura_Elsewhere that sounds so delicious and makes me feel very nostalgic, OH and I have been to Hawes several times. Each year for the last 7 or so years we have taken a holiday spread over 4 weeks travelling to Scotland and stopping off in The Lake District and/or Yorkshire for a few days in each direction, Covid-19 stopped this last year and looks as if it may do so this year too, or at the very best mean we have to make it Autumn and not Spring as per usual. I am not moaning, lots of people much worse off than me.